Broken Memphis (6 page)

"Hey, I wanted to kill him the next day, but you were fucking around at a water park shithole."

"It was nice actually," Ford says, grinning. "It even had an onsite restaurant with really great burgers. Too bad you didn't come with us."

"If I had, who would have saved Bebe and Lula?"

"Oh, I'm sure someone could have managed it. We belong to a biker club, and those guys are kinda tough and stuff."

"Turd."

"Yeast infection." I frown at this insult, causing Ford to laugh. "Shay came up with that one."

"I think I hate her again."

Ford smacks me upside the head. "Tonight, after we make the fuckers bleed, let's go riding. I've been cooped up for too long."

"Shay hates you," I say. "It's why she makes you go on vacation."

Laughing, Ford tries to hit me again. I manage to dodge his hand and punch him in the stomach.

"Riding sounds good," I say, grabbing my coat. "Let go make Taz bleed."

I walk up the stairs to where Lula still colors. Devin and Donnie are watching TV, though I think the younger one wants to color too.

Stopping at Bebe's door, I knock then say, "We need to head out to work."

When Shay answers the door, I notice Bebe's been crying.

"Did you hear me?" I ask Shay, who shoves me away from the door.

"I heard you. Don't forget your bats and your guns," she says, moving around me so she can feel up my brother. "And your knives."

"Blowtorches too?" Ford asks, and I roll my eyes.

Bebe remains on the bed, wiping her eyes. I catch her gaze, and she looks so damn unhappy that I want to kill everyone.

"Be careful," she mouths then grins. "I still think throwing stars are a great idea."

Staring at her face, I nearly walk into the room and kiss her. I might have if Ford wasn't a few feet away, waiting to mock me.

"We'll be back late," I tell Bebe. "Order pizza and stay in the house."

When Bebe frowns at me, I'm unsure whether my tone or bossing her around bothers her.

"I'd rather stay at our house," Shay says, and I glare at her. Grinning at me, she continues, "I could unpack while we're waiting. Plus, I know where all the weapons are hidden. I mean, if you're really worried about our safety then…"

"Troublemaker," I growl, causing Shay to laugh so loud the kids peek down the hall to see why.

"You're staying here because Lula is getting used to her new home and sleeping somewhere else will freak her out. Now stop being a jackass and agree with me."

Shay's smile shifts. "You're such a softie."

Glancing at Bebe, I find her watching me in a really sexy way. With her gaze on me, I feel like pumping weights or at least flashing my muscles. If I made a single move on her, I sense she'd sleep with me this very moment.

Unfortunately, a dead man waits to make his fate official, and my bat is dying to swing. The reward for my good deeds will need to wait.

9

Pax

Dick Soccer

Taco is waiting for us at a blue house up the block from Taz's place. Ford and I don't arrive on our Harleys. Instead, we park a block over and walk through a few yards. Even if Taz doesn't have people on the lookout, Joker told us to come in quiet.

"Be cool," Ford says before we walk inside the house. "And don't look weak."

"Fuck off, hee-haw."

"I like that one."

Sharing a grin, we enter the house. Joker is standing in the kitchen while Taco sits on a chair next to a tiny Mexican lady.

"Graciela, these are my friends Ford and Pax," Taco says. "They're going to help me deal with the problem."

Clutching her crucifix, the woman nods. "Bad people live there. They party all night. People cry for help. The police show up and talk to the bad people. Once the police leave, it all starts again."

"Police have rules," I say. "We don't."

Ford joins Joker in the kitchen for only a minute before they both walk out and nod at Taco. I'm ready to rush into the house and kill everyone I see. Except I know they might have another woman like Bebe in their house or could be terrorizing another child like Lula. Even I know going in guns blazing isn't smart.

The sun has set, but the street remains quiet. Normally, potheads sit outside in front of their garages. Teenagers will walk up and down the streets, throwing rocks and being loud until someone bigger scares them away. Tonight, everyone is hiding because the Little Memphis Motorcycle Club has arrived.

Taz's house is quiet, like he knows we're coming. We expect resistance when we bust through the front and back doors. I even wonder if we're walking into an ambush.

What we find is an ambush, but one that went down hours earlier.

"Graciela said she heard a lot of yelling earlier," Taco explains as we stand in the living room where Taz is displayed. "Gunshots too, but she said there's always noise coming from this place."

"Not anymore," Ford says, using his bat to push over a dead kiddie thug.

"Someone scalped them," Joker whispers. "Who the hell do we know who scalps people?"

Bull scratches his bald head. "There was a drug dealer years ago who scalped his people if they came up short. He's dead though."

"Yeah, seems like people who are long dead keep returning lately," I say. "Remember Paro snitching out long dead Ginger Snaps?"

Joker looks over Taz's fucked up body while the rest of us check out the house. I find scalped idiots all over the place. Some of the thugs hid, but none of them got out alive.

"I'm disappointed," I announce once back in the living room. "I've been dying to kill these fuckers, and someone beat us to it."

"Think it was Wolfman?" Taco asks Joker.

"He doesn't have the power on the outside to manage this."

"Think it was the old man?" Ford asks.

We stand silently wondering if our club president did this behind our backs. He's been making secret moves for months. The only reason we even know Trigger is a backstabbing fucker is that his oldest boy is also a backstabbing fucker. While I don't trust Madden as far as I can toss his rich boy ass, I also know he's the only reason Joker hasn't walked into a death trap yet.

"The way Taz is butchered reminds me of someone," Joker nearly whispers. "Fuck. I feel like someone knows all the damn answers and we're being kept in the dark for shits and giggles."

"Come again?" Taco asks, still rubbing his shaved his head as if thinking too much about scalping. "Taz got his balls whacked off. I don't know anyone who does shit to balls. His dick too. Even Zombie don't mess with a guy's dick."

Joker crosses his arms in a way that makes me nervous.

"If this person is our enemy," I mutter, "let me ice him so I can work out my blood lust. I'm pissed Taz is dead and I didn't kill him."

"He died slower and more fucked up than you would have killed him," Ford says, kicking Taz's dick at me.

"Gross, man."

"Looks like the dick was cut off then his balls probably came off then he got disemboweled. He was alive through it, and I bet he didn't die for ten minutes afterwards. Can you imagine him crying like a fucking baby?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I might want to send Taz's killer a thank-you card. Not a fancy one, but something from the Dollar Store maybe."

Ford and I grin at each other. A few feet away, Joker remains tense as hell, and his anxiety infects us.

"What?" Ford asks while Bull peers outside for trouble.

"Ginger Snaps used to kill guys like this. She took out other pimps in really fucked up ways. It's why she scared people shitless. The bitch was nuts."

"But you said you watched her die," I remind him then glance at Taz's corpse. "I wouldn't mind so much if a chick fucked him up. I'm a big believer in women empowerment."

Ford laughs then gets himself under control. Joker ignores our jokes.

"I watched someone get torn apart that night, but I'd never seen Ginger Snaps before. Not a whole lot of people in the club saw her in person. She ran with a lower level of scum, but Trigger said the dead girl was her, and I figured he'd know. He had met with her a few times and claimed she was crazy. Hell, he said she had a death wish, so he did her a favor by killing her."

"Except maybe she's not dead," Ford mutters. "Why would she come after Taz though?"

"I don't know. She appeared quick and started a lot of trouble. Trigger blew her off as a stupid kid. Said she was a crazy hooker who thought she was going to kill all the mean pimps. I remember he laughed her off, but then he started talking about how some bitches couldn't be bought or intimidated. Next thing I knew he had killed her."

Shaking his head, Taco frowns. "I bet he knows she's back. Hell, he knows all kinds of shit and keeps it to himself. He pushed Big Dick to think Paro killed his boy. He's not even loyal to his lackeys."

"I'll talk to Madden and see what he knows," Joker says, stepping over a dead thug. "He said a few days ago that we should meet at the school soon and go over shit. I want you all there. Lucky too. All our loyal guys. Just be careful. Madden claims Trigger took the leash off Zombie. The psycho could be anywhere doing anything, so watch your women too."

Dumping a drink on dead Taz's head, I growl, "Great. Now we have our club brothers to worry about too. Like this fucking town wasn't fucked up enough."

"Better watch your language now that you have a kid in the house," Joker says, struggling not to laugh. "Maybe you can spell the cuss words like Bebe does. Wait, can you spell?"

When I kick Taz's dick at him, Joker only laughs and heads for the door. "Someone light this place up. I don't want to leave anything behind to link us to the bloodbath."

I'm granted the pleasure of setting Taz's corpse on fire. Afterwards, Ford and I watch the house burn from Graciela's porch before the fire department puts it out. We laugh when the stoners next door to Taz's place flee when the cops arrive. Despite the entertainment, I'm enraged that I wasn't the one looking in Taz's eyes while his life faded away. I also had big hopes about killing the guy who forced Lula to drink beer and gave Bebe a black eye.

Ford knows why I'm grumpy. Of course, I don't want to talk about my feelings, and he doesn't want to hear them either. After walking from Graciela's house to our Harleys, we ride for an hour around Little Memphis. As the night grows cold, I struggle to let go of my need for vengeance.

10

Bebe

Seductive Duckies

At nearly ten, the men return while I cuddle in bed with Lula. I hear Shay and her brothers leave quickly with Ford. Thinking of Pax alone in the house, I'm bothered by the image. I also worry he might be hurt from raiding Taz's house. The questions finally drive me out of bed, and I tiptoe from the room.

Pax is in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. His arms crossed tightly, he's watching Folgers intently. I know he's pissed. I consider sneaking back into the bedroom but don't have the heart to ditch the sexiest pissed brat I've ever seen.

"Did everything go okay?" I ask, feeling dumb to word his raid on a pimp's house as if he'd been to a business meeting.

"I didn't get to kill Taz."

His mumbly tone sounds like Lula's when I tell her she needs to stop playing.

"Did he go into hiding?" I ask, stepping closer.

Pax notices my proximity, and his demeanor shifts. He's less focused on Folgers and more on my lips.

"He's dead, but I didn't get to kill him."

"Did Ford steal your thunder?"

"He wouldn't do that. Not with his dream of keeping both balls."

"So who killed Taz?"

"I don't know."

Pax steps closer, leaving a foot between us. I feel as if he's pressed against me, and his intense gaze tears away my confidence.

"Did he suffer?"

Pax's gaze leaves my lips, and our eyes meet. I see a hint of humor in his blue eyes.

"Yes. Whoever killed him cut off his dick and balls."

I shouldn't smile, but I do. Pax shares my grin.

"Good," I whisper. "He made my baby cry."

"Whoever killed him made him cry too. I just wish it was me."

"Would you have cut off his dick?" I tease, shuffling closer. "I'd think you'd want gloves and a whole lot of Purell if you'd touch a guy like Taz."

Grinning, Pax tugs at the seam of my nightgown top. "I've touched worse, but I always stay clean. If you catch my hint."

"Aren't you going to send me your test results with flowers like Ford did with Shay?"

"Ford's a turd."

Pax studies my face like he's taking in every feature. Not really dissecting what he sees but memorizing me. I feel small and weak while he's big and intimidating.

I don't know what he sees on my face, but his expression hardens. "Why were you crying earlier? Do you want to go back to Darby's?"

"No, and you know it's not that. I like it here. Do you want me to leave?" I ask, fearing he'll steal this new life from Lula.

"I'm not a child. I asked you to come here."

"You didn't ask."

Pax leans forward, erasing more space between us. "No, I didn't."

"Ford is back now, so maybe you've changed your mind."

"No, he isn't back. He's down the street with his woman. I'm never gonna change my mind, Bebe. I'm too stubborn."

A minute passes as Pax somehow shrinks the space between us even more until I can feel the heat radiating off him.

"Lula loves her room," I say.

"Why isn't she sleeping in there then?"

"It's new, and the top bunk is scary at night. She took a nap in the room earlier."

"I don't care if she likes it or not. No skin off my ass either way."

"You're lying."

Pax grins. "Yeah, I am. You gonna make something of it."

"I'm sorry you didn't get to kill Taz."

"I'm real put out about that."

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"How sorry?"

Lowering my gaze, I focus on Folgers. The dog walks past us and sniffs the front door. Pax tenses when he thinks Folgers senses danger. I watch him while he watches the dog. Folgers decides nothing is wrong and walks to the couch and stretches out.